Psychological Trap

The term "psychological trap" is relatively new to me. The term bears resemblance to the notion of "psychic prisons" which I recently studied in Structure & Theory of Organizations. While the two ideas are not synonymous, they do share an overarching characteristic. Both are derived from personal frames of reference, our corporate cultures, occupational ritualism, and interaction with others. Further, depending upon the mindsets of individual employees and the evolution of their corporate culture, the shared reality of an organization may be more or less susceptible to the detriments of psychological traps.

One such occupational culture is municipal management. I believe that psychological traps gain strength in local government with frequency, which can be attributed to the unique characteristics of the workplace. Take into consideration that municipal management has no focus on making profit, and must also administer services and programs in a utilitarian manner to satisfy its constituents. Local government becomes a mosquito pool for these traps; a place where thinking stagnates, creativity is seldom required, and internal & external dynamics are so inert that innovation need not be a trademark quality.

The cyclical nature of many municipal functions also lends itself to encouraging traps. Take police contract negotiations, for example. Whether talks deteriorate into arbitration or not, negotiations always begin with either management or police laying out a proposed contract. This proposed contract, with well-formulated facts and figures, is where the art of compromise begins. Both sides are victims of anchoring, for when negotiations open, the previous contract is both factions' point of reference. Budgeting is probably the cyclical aspect of government that comes to most people's minds. Local governments are also burdened by being one of the few organizations that must maintain a balanced budget. Towns often find themselves in trouble when a once-reliable revenue source suddenly dries up, as Upper Merion did when its mercantile tax revenue plummeted post-September 11. Mercantile tax is levied from all retailers, and having the King of Prussia Mall within township lines bolsters this revenue source. However, relying too heavily upon the trends of past years caused the Township to be too overconfident in their revenue forecast, thus creating a shortfall when compared to expenditures. This case, of course, was rather unpredictable, but overconfidence traps can manifest in more than just budget forecasting.

Mediating the wants of the public can also leave a municipality prone to certain psychological traps.